Could it be
by Aka Chuurippu
Summary: After being discharged from the care of the 12th, Hinamori wakes up from a nightmare and begins replaying the past months in her mind, finding one common element in each memory. Hurt/Comf/Friendship some minor romance hints. T for hints of past violence.


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH! TITE KUBO DOES!

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Hinamori Momo sat up in bed, a hand resting lightly over her heart, over her scar. A solitary tear ran down her cheek. At first, Aizen stabbing her had been a dreadful thing for her to endure, she had admired him so greatly. She had felt safe with him, like a daughter would feel with her father. She had snapped when she thought he was dead, the only paternal figure she'd ever had in her life. It's true she had other men in her life, Abarai Renji, Hisagi Shuhei, Kira Izuru and Hitsugaya Toshiro, but those men were like brothers to her.

It had been Kira that had stopped her from attacking another Captain, and she had returned his kindness by releasing her shikai on him.

More tears fell from her eyes, as she rested her head against the palm of her hand with regret, silent sobs beginning to shake her body. _'How... how could I have done that to Kira-kun? He's always been there, he never once wavered even slightly.' _

As she continued to replay the events from the past few months in her mind, she began to realise something. Back in the Academy during the Konso incident, it had been Kira Izuru who had first followed her to assist Hisagi Shuhei, he hadn't moved until she did. When she had screamed upon discovering what she had thought to be Aizen's body, Kira was the first one to run to her location followed by other Lieutenants. His voice echoed in her mind, _"Hinamori-kun!"_ He had been ready, and fully expecting to fight to help her, his running had stopped just one step behind her, ready to shield her if he had to. When he noticed Aizen's 'body', he had been at a loss for words, he knew enough to give her space by not touching her, but still stayed close as a means of comfort. He had let her cry, and scream. When she moved to attack his Captain, he intervened, drawing his own Zanpakuto against her, while knowing she was in a grief induced rage, he still had his wits about him and knew the penalty for drawing your Zanpakuto on a superior officer. His lips had said he was acting as the Lieutenant of the third division, but his eyes... his eyes said 'I'm your friend. I won't let you throw your life away.'

When she was injured against Ayon, he could've let her fall, and focused all of his attention on Matsumoto instead he had caught her with Bakudo 37, Tsuri boshi. He didn't move her, but he moved Matsumoto Rangiku who was also injured by Ayon so he could heal them both, erecting a level 70 barrier around the three of them as a means of protecting them both. He had healed Matsumoto first, her injuries having made it impossible for her to breathe. While Hinamori was in considerable pain, and knew one of her fractured ribs was pressing against her lung, she knew she could wait, and only after she had told him to hurry and save Rangiku-san, had he complied. As soon as he had finished, he turned to help her, the only thing he had been able to do for her was knock her out with Shinten before healing her, "to help with the pain."

Her sobs stopped, and she wiped her eyes, realising that the sun was coming up she sighed and gained a solemn look on her face. Kira Izuru, she viewed him as a brother, but with everything into consideration she was certain he viewed her as something a bit more. Could it be that Kira Izuru loved her? As in boyfriend loves a girlfriend type of love? She shook her head at the thought.

Her attention snapped to her bedroom door when she heard someone knocking. She was still in her night gown! Her pale pink night gown! Not to mention the only other thing she had to cover herself with at that exact moment was the pale green bed sheets. "Just a moment," she called to her guest as she located her fluffy pink housecoat and pulled it on. Tying the belt around her waist, she looked up at the door, "Come in."

The door opened and she blinked, Kira Izuru had brought her a breakfast tray.

He blushed a bit at her expression, "Captain Unohana said you had to take it easy for the next few weeks, even though you're out of squad three so umm, Hisagi, Matsumoto, Abarai, Hitsugaya taicho and myself are splitting the daily chores amongst ourselves so you can rest up an heal faster."

"Oh... uhh... thank you," Momo replied a little uneasy.

Kira sensed her discomfort and placed the tray down on the bed. It had a slice of toast with orange and peach marmalade, a poached egg, and a perfectly ripened peach with a cup of hot tea.

"Umm, I know you're a bit uncomfortable Hinamori-kun, I'll just... I'll just leave this here and leave so you can get dressed," Kira explained as he headed towards the door.

Hinamori was quick to grasp the sleeve of his uniform, and he stopped walking at her grasp, "Momo-chan, are you alright?"

Hinamori didn't convey any emotion, she just breathed heavy, anxiety sinking in before she answered, "I was just thinking about you. About everything."

"Momo-chan?"

"About everything that's happened, Kira-kun. My whole life I knew that if I was in trouble and Hitsugaya-kun was near, I'd be alright... and that was true up until-" she trailed off for a moment and shook her head, "I know he was being decieved by Aizen's Zanpakuto but-"

She began trembling a bit, Kira placed his hand gently on her hand that was still grasping his sleeve, and turned to her. He saw that she wasn't looking at him, her face glancing at the wall opposite her bedroom door. Why was she staring at the wall? He took note that she appeared to be crying, and noticing a tear fall onto the fuzzy housecoat, realised she in fact was crying.

He pulled her in close for a hug, "Hinamori-kun-" he paused. He wanted to say something reassuring, something to comfort her, but comforting words were never his biggest strong point, nor was self confidence. He sighed and held onto her tightly, rubbing her back a little as her sobs started.

Then he thought back on everything himself. From the first day he saw her in the academy, to the day of the konso practice. From there his mind drifted to being in the fifth together, then to all of the commotion that had taken place in the past months. He realised why she was so shaken. Two men she had trusted, two of them had hurt her – impaled her. One had done so intentionally, the other, Hitsugaya taicho, had believed he was attacking an enemy. He already knew she was aware of this, or she would have flinched at Hitsugaya Taicho's name.

She was audibly crying now. He noticed her hair was in a ponytail, not her usual bun, he brought a hand up to her head and pulled the hair tie from her raven locks, letting them cascade down just below her shoulders. Gently he began to stroke her hair in a comforting gesture, while his other hand rubbed her back. Silently coaxing her with the two comforting gestures to let her pain out, that it was alright to cry in front of him. That to a degree, he understood.

Kira didn't think anyone could know exactly how she felt, being betrayed by Aizen the way she had been, and how had he managed to stab her, did he over power her? He didn't dare ask. He slid down so he was on one knee, her head now resting on his shoulder as she cried.

Slowly her crying quieted and her sobbing became slight shutters. He hugged her close and tight, still not saying a word while he wracked his mind trying to think of something that would help lift her spirits a little. Then he had an idea, gently cupping the left side of her face with his hand, he gently pulled back from the hug. His intense blue eyes met her warm brown orbs as he thumbed away her tears and asked her, "Hinamori-kun, do you remember the Konso practice?"

Momo nodded, "Yeah I do."

Izuru smiled a little bit, "You're such a good person Momo-chan. You saw Hisagi-san in danger and turned back to help him. I was scared for you, but I also admired you. I'd been scared out of my mind when I first saw that hollow, but you- you were something else. You didn't scream, you didn't run. You stood your ground."

"Aizen taicho-" Momo couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Izuru nodded, "I know. Knowing what we know now it's entirely possible that he had watched everything, planned it even. That aside Momo, your impulsiveness while it may be dangerous at times, saved a life that night. It was an impulsive thing to do yes, but I always thought you were far more brave and strong than I am for holding your ground against that hollow."

A small smile crept across the girl's face, "Arigato, Kira-kun."

The two friends shared a brief embrace before Kira left her to change, "I'll just be in the living area Hinamori-kun. Come on out when you're ready."

"Hai," the girl replied, a bit of her old vibrance back.

'_She'll be alright,'_ Kira thought to himself. _'She's young, sensitive, naive, but she'll be alright. As long as she can keep talking.' _

He sat down on the couch while thinking to himself, _'and everytime she needs to, I'll be there to listen.'_


End file.
